Prosecutors: Men stole 4 miles of copper wire from Link Light Rail

Published 2:33 pm, Monday, June 17, 2013

Two men accused of stealing 4.3 miles of copper wire from Sound Transit’s Link Light Rail line now face felony charges.

Describing the stripping operation as the largest metal thefts in state history, King County prosecutors contend the Donald Howard Turpin, 54, and Lee Russell Skelly, 44, climbed through maintenance hatches into a tunnel under two rail stations and stole wires designed to ground the system. The thefts are alleged to have begun in November 2010 and continued for nine months.

Investigators contend Skelly and Turpin worked through the night to cut and strip the wire. They are alleged to have then sold the wire to various scrap metal recycling businesses in King County.

“This crime shows the astounding lengths that some criminals will go to take what isn’t theirs,” King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg said in a statement. “The defendants in this case literally stripped away at our public transportation infrastructure."

Turpin’s DNA was found on Gatorade bottles left behind at the crime scene, according to charging papers.

Turpin made approximately $39,000 in profit while Skelly received over $4,000, proscutors contend Turpin had a business license which allowed him to scrap the metal with little scrutiny. The replacement cost of the 70,000 pounds of copper wire is estimated at $1.3 million so far.

Both men are set to be arraigned June 27 at the King County Courthouse in Seattle. Charged with burglary, theft and trafficking in stolen property, Turpin faces up to seven years in prison if convicted as charged. Skelly faces up to one year in jail.